The Old Fable
by squeakyzeno
Summary: "It's an old fable. Some say it's the history of our country but others think it's more akin to a story from one of the old religions. It's mainly focused on the life of one individual though." The life of END as a demon, a dragon and a human, from beginning to end.
1. Prologue

It was grey outside. But she had always enjoyed gloomy days like these. There was something satisfying about huddling under layers of blankets while the rain pitter-pattered on the roof.

The tired blonde had already gotten out of bed and dressed for work before the call to inform her of her unplanned day off came. Instead of going back to bed, she opted for a steaming mug of hot chocolate and the seat by the cushioned bay window. She leaned against the side wall and haphazardly laid her creamy-beige faux fur throw over her lap. She took a sip from her Christmas themed mug and closed her eyes as a warmth spread down her chest. Turning her attention to enjoy the quiet morning, she noticed that everything seemed to be as dreary as the weather.

The bachelor from three doors down was taking his morning jog with what seemed to be slow lazy strides. He passed an old lady and her less-than-friendly rottweiler with a light smile and wave that was no more than a brief uncurling of his hand. The old lady smiled in return but did not wave to keep one hand on her walking stick and the other to attempt to hold the wandering full-sized dog away from the jogger.

The blonde watched her neighbors with mild interest as her head rested against the window. She let the cool glass relax her and the warm rays of sunlight peeking through the clouds from the horizon land on her cheek. The silenced eased her and let her mind wander peacefully. Unfortunately, that peace only lasted so long.

A loud crash followed by softer thumping noises came from her husband's study. Since her husband had left a few days ago on a business trip, there was only one other rascal in the house that could be making such loud noises so early in the morning.

She sighed, watching her warm breath create a cloud on the glass. Her finger absentmindedly drew circles and swirls until the cold had consumed the little marks she left. She took another slow sip of her drink as she heard more thumping noises drawing closer each second. When she heard them stop at the doorway of the living room, she turned her head to find her little 8-year-old smiling up at her.

She found herself smiling just as brightly despite the early hour and dull weather. It was impossible not to with her son standing there with messy ruffles of bedhead and a face pink with exhaustion from dragging a book his size all the way from the study no doubt.

She chuckled lightly and stood up, leaving the throw on her seat while making a mental note to fold it later. As she made her way to the doorway, the source of her disturbed peace struggled to move the large book in front of him to show her what it was. She ruffled her son's hair, only making his bedhead worse and placed her mug on the coffee table to free her other hand.

"What'cha got there, little guy?"

"A story! You said on your next day off you'd read me anything I wanted! Remember?" He replied excitedly, still trying to tug the book, that had made its way from behind to only beside him, all the way in front of him to face his mother.

She bent down and relived him of his strenuous task by taking the book in both hands. She recognized it immediately. It had been one of her favourites as a child. It was the oldest book she owned and the only one with sun-dyed pages that rustled with every turn of the page.

"Did I?" She teased as she led him back to her spot by the window. His tiny hand cling to her slim fingers. She sat down, retaking her spot against the side wall.

"You did!" The wide-eyed 8-year-old pouted and crawled onto the seat and under his mother's arm. He settled himself against her before pulling the throw over both their bodies. The blanket barely made it to her waist but was already covering the little child up to his neck. "And I picked this one because it's the only one in the whole library with a dragon on it." He stated matter-of-factly, seeming quite satisfied with himself for finding it.

"Hmm, and I suppose getting this down from the top shelf has nothing to do with all those noises I heard just now? She thought about the large mess he likely made that she would have to clean up later, but quickly dismissed it from her mind. Instead, she focused on the mischievous ear-to-ear grin her son looked up at her with.

"What noises?"

Her eyebrows rose a fraction at his smooth innocent play. It was definitely something he picked up from his father. A light smile ghosted her lips as she hummed knowingly and returned her attention to the heavy book in her hands.

Sure enough, as her son said, a faded black silhouette of a dragon crawled down the spine of the rust coloured leather bound. Her finger ran along the outline of the dragon as she remembered all the years she would sneak into her father's library at night to read this book.

"What's it about?" The child was even more curious after seeing his mother lost in thought before even opening the cover.

"It's an old fable. Some say it's the history of our country but others think it's more akin to a story from one of the old religions. It's mainly focused on the life of one individual though."

"No dragons?" He looked back down at the cover with slight disappointment. The blonde mother chuckled lightly and patted her son's head with one hand.

"There will be some dragons, you don't have to worry about that"

"Really?! Then let's get started!" He cheered and bounced with anticipation.

"Alright, but it's a long story, so get comfortable" She shifted in her spot to allow her son to curl up by her side and still look at the book.

She could not believe that after so many years she would be opening this book again. But she smiled to herself, knowing all the adventures within. She glanced over the front cover of the leather one more time. From that angle, only the side edges of the dragon on the spine and the tail that ran across the cover from the spine to the other end of the book were visible. The outline of the tail was harsh and jagged, to match the title it underlined. The deep black letters already sending a chill through the blonde. She exhaled and began to read, starting with the words embedded on the leather-bound cover.

"E.N.D. by Lucy Heartifilia"


	2. Chapter 1: Dragon and Man

**A/N: Hey everyone! So this chapter is more like a little history lesson thing, it explains a lot of stuff that will happen in the later chapters. I've never been good at finding a right pacing for stories, so I'm sorry if this chapter seems rushed or the main plot is taking too long to show but I promise things will pick up next chapter. Hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

Chapter 1: Dragon and Men

They say the fate of dragons and man are intertwined. They rose from one being and would fall as one.

Long ago, before civilization, before communities, when the concept of time itself did not exist, a certain being appeared. Its origin a mystery but its existence absolute. This being was able to perform miracles. It created objects out of nothing, healed the gravest wounds and controlled natural elements at will. It would be later known as the First Mage.

The inhabitants of the world worshipped this power and stories of the mysterious being to spread across the lands. The Mage wanted nothing more than to bring happiness to those around it. However, among those who revered it, came those who feared or craved the power. This greed consumed more and more of the inhabitants and, eventually, the Mage was forced into hiding.

Listening to the will of the natives, it decided to share the power. The Mage split its soul into fragments which gave rise to others with the power of miracles running through their veins. Born from the First Mage were two very different beings. Dragon and Man.

* * *

As the population of each species grew, they dominated the lands. They lived, they died and they evolved together. Soon, their powers were no longer seen as miracles, but as an essential part of their societies. They named their power Magic. As time passed new forms of Magic were discovered. Mages specialized in one type to unlock all the secrets of that branch of magic. The diversity of Magic continuously until the form wielded by the First Mage was lost.

From this magic, all other branches of magic were born. Many believed that the types of magic were an evolved form, more powerful than the First Mage could ever hope to be. Others believed that combining these improved branches of magic back into the form the First Mage wielded would be far more powerful. The magic that encompassed all other branches of magic would have no restrictions or limits. It could accomplish the impossible, accomplish miracles. In the world where magic had become a part of the laws of the universe, the concept that the First Mage held a miraculous power that defied all laws came back.

Societies everywhere researched and experimented ways to piece Magic together again. Into what they considered its true form, One Magic. Unfortunately, there were still those who opposed this idea and thought One Magic would bring them back into the past rather than to the future. These different views and values developed within societies and eventually led to war.

During these wars, the dragons with their massive magical capabilities stood on the front lines of the battlefield. In order to combat each other, many spells were created over the course of the war. The strongest ones unleashing chaos across the lands. Societies of dragons, of humans and of both fought to protect their beliefs and loved ones.

By the next generation, the wars were subdued. The world was already destroyed. Two-thirds of the inhabitants of the land were extinct. A mere one-quarter of the world's living population remained. Most of the oceans were dried up and a layer of thick iron dust consumed the atmosphere. This despair led to the creation of a hierarchy among the dragons with the strongest standing at the top. Together they gathered the rest of the dragons and an agreement of peace was established.

However, the risk of a rebellion constantly loamed over their heads. To prevent such destruction from happening again, the dragons sealed away their strongest spells into marks only to be used in cases of emergency. The marks would be held by dragons trusted to be able to judge when the situation would call for such desperate measures. The immense power they held had earned them the title Dragon Kings across the land.

The King of Iron Dragons with the most powerful breath attack that caused the iron dust atmosphere which would take another generation to settle and the air to be clean and safe to breath.

The King of Fire Dragons with the ability to summon the raging fires from the center of the planet that burns anything in its wake. The fire that scorched the land and burned even the oceans.

Finally, the King of Dragons, the one trusted above all else. He was given the power to deactivate the marks. In cases of corruption or bad judgment, the King of Dragons could place an additional seal over the marks that would make it impossible for any Dragon King to wield the power.

These sealed marks were passed down through blood and for many years, peace remained as the world was rebuilt.

* * *

When the peace was eventually broken, the dragons saw humans as competitors for Magic. They began killing and feasting on humans. This caused outrage everywhere. Some dragons hated humans and believed them to be weak. Others loved them as family. Some humans hated dragons and blamed them for their losses. Others loved dragons as family as well.

This war would end with humans as victorious and dragons no longer existent.

The extinction of the dragons come in three phases.

The first began when dragons who wished to protect humans fought the dragons who hated them. The war was fierce and many humans and dragons alike lost their lives.

The second phase was when humans joined the fight. Given the power of the dragons, dragon slaying magic began to turn the tides of the war. At this same time, humans that hated all dragons created a pathogen to infect those of the dragon blood. The disease was fiercely contagious and deadly. It infiltrated and suffocated the each and every cell in the host's body, it was called Blight. After the first dose was used as a weapon in battle, it was quickly discovered that the disease infects and kills dragon slayers as well. All strains of the pathogen were destroyed and infected dragons were isolated to prevent it from spreading farther. There existed only one cure for the disease and only one person who could administer it. This mage used her magic to purify and regenerate the infected's cells. She saved many dragons and humans but by the time Bligh had been eradicated, it took one-third of the dragon population with it.

The dragon's power dwindled significantly and by the time of the final phase, they had lost their will to fight. The King of Dragons was one of the last victims of Blight. Before he died, he discovered that in the brief moment before his heart stopped forever, his magic was unstable. He used this opportunity to pass his sealed mark to a chosen heir. This heir was the one he considered his son, the dragon slayer he had raised and trained.

Overcome with distraught from the death of his father, the new King of Dragons blamed the death of his predecessor on the dragons for starting the war against humans. In his anger, he vowed to kill all dragons and dragon slayers. And so, the third phase of the dragon's extinction begun. Dragons were hunted down and killed by this one individual until none remained. The Dragon Kings attempted to kill the dragon slayer with the power of their sealed marks, however, the new King of Dragons used his own mark. He sealed away the last of the dragons' power and slaughter the remaining dragons.

The last dragon was killed on a night when the full moon stood alone in the sky shining brightly. Every full moon after, the humans would hold The Festival of the Dragon King. A festival to celebrate the crusade against the dragons or more commonly called, The Age of Aconologia.

 **A/N: History lesson over! It took a lot longer than I thought it would to get through everything -.-**

 **But our lovable pinkette will finally make an appearance next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Dragneels

**A/N: From now on the chapters are going to be a bit more story like, similar to the prologue with dialogue and more focus on characters rather than events. Hope you guys like it!**

Chapter 2: The Dragneels

His lungs burned from the lack of oxygen but he kept running. He had to. His right hand held up his ridiculous long garments that would otherwise have tangled with his legs and cause him to trip. But it was his left hand that had the hard job.

"Brother! He's coming!". Natsu shouted from behind him. The child started gasping for the air he had lost in those few words.

He squeezed his little brother's hand harder in his own and kept running. Natsu was tired and almost at his limit. The little stumps that were the 4-year-old's legs were moving as fast as they could. But it was not fast enough. Natsu's hand slipped out of his for a brief second before he captured the child's wrist in a vice grip. He kept running.

There was a forest a few dozen metres in front of them. If they could just get there, they might have a chance. The rough terrain and plethora of coverage would give them an advantage over their very large (and fast) pursuer.

Natsu was becoming too slow. He considered carrying his younger brother the rest of the way. But dismissed the idea almost immediately. His legs were using all the energy his tiny body could hold, there was none to spare for his arms to carry another person. Besides, he had to keep running. If they were caught…

Natsu screamed. He felt the tiny wrist ripped from his grasp. Zeref's heart stopped, his blood felt like ice in his veins and his legs gave out. He should have let Natsu run in front. The chase was over now. They were so close to the tree line too.

A cry from Natsu rang in his ears. "Help! Brother, please!" Another cry.

Zeref mustered up all the strength he could find and stood up. He was determined to land a surprise attack on their pursuer so at least Natsu could make it into the forest, make it somewhere safe. He tiny fist were shaking, ready to swing, as he turned around.

The black haired boy froze. It was not because of the size of the towering figure before him. Nor was it the flailing body of his younger brother or the tears that stained his pink cheeks. It was the mop of pink that sat above their pursuers head. The once spikey hair was rough and jaggedly cut short. Leaving only two spikes sticking up diagonally outwards resembling cat ears.

Zeref's hand went to his mouth to prevent a roaring laugh from escaping. He failed. This caught the attention of both pinkettes. The larger one placed Natsu in the crook of one arm and sweep Zeref off the ground into the other.

"You think this is funny, huh?". The male tried for a threatening tone but his grin gave him away.

He started walking back towards the house they all had frantically ran out of just moments ago. Zeref allowed his body to completely relax knowing he would not be subject to the same tickle attack Natsu had.

"You're awfully lucky I walked past a mirror before going to work today." Zeref's laughing was only fueled by the pout that the grown man wore.

Natsu, who had started laughing too, was reaching above his father's head to try and play with the tuffs of cat-ear-hair.

"Aww, but I think it's kind of cute." A woman, with hair as black as Zeref's that flowed down to her waist and eyes that reflected nothing but love and kindness, stood at the doorway to welcome the three boys home.

"Please don't encourage them" The oldest male sighed in defeat.

"Did you hear that?! Mommy like our present!" Natsu turned his big onyx eyes towards me. He had already regained all his energy - if his incessant bouncing had anything to say about it - and was holding his hands out towards his mother with his fists opening and closing, indicating he wanted to be carried by her.

"Oh? Is that a confession I hear?" The father teased as he placed his youngest son in his wife's arms. Zeref wiggled his way out of his father's hold and onto the ground, fearing what his father would do with his other hand free. Zeref had been on the wrong end of a very lengthy tickling before, he did not want to relieve it.

"Let them be. Come on, I'll fix it up." His mother giggled before heading back into the house with Natsu.

By the time father had settled down on a stool and mother had found the proper knife, Natsu was dozing off half on his older brother's lap and half on the couch. Zeref finally got a good look at his and Natsu's handiwork without the sunlight or wind to hinder his view. The short hair was messy and different lengths all over, by the cat-ear tuffs were quite even on both sides. Considering the amount of trouble, he and his brother went through to avoid waking their father up while they worked, Zeref was very satisfied with the end result. He was quite sad to see his mother slowly even it all out.

He closed his eyes and allowed the soft sound of the blade shearing hair lull him to sleep.

"My head's too cold now"

He heard a soft giggle. "Don't pout. It'll grow back out in no time."

 **A/N: Short chapter but I surprisingly finished it tonight and don't want it to be in the same chapter as the next one. I hope you liked it!**


End file.
